Improvement in implements for removing cartridge-primers



H. G. WOLCOTT.

IMPLEMENT FOR REMOVING CARTRID-GE-PRIMERS.

Patented Au /1, 1876.

Y x m Wa'lizwawa N. PET S. PNOTO-LITHGGRAPH NIE S HENRY GOODR-ICHWOLGOTT, OF FISHKILL-ON-THE-HUDSON, NEW YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,693, dated August1, 1876; application filed July 13 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GOODRICH TOLCOTT, of Fishkill-oirthe-Hudson,Dutclress county, New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Implements for Removing Primers from Cartridge-Shells,of which thefollowing is a specification In making my invention I havehad principally in view that class of cartridges made with a centraloutwardly-projecting nipple, around whi h are formed small holes,usually three in number, equidistant from the center, through which thefire is transmitted. The nipple is covered,.as is well known, by a capor primer, whichis firmly seated in the base of the cartridge-shell. Inreloading an empty shell it becomes necessary to remove the old explodedprimer in order to replace it by a new one. To this end I make use of astandard which is of a size to about fit the cartridge case or shell,and carries a central yielding pin, which enters the nipple and centersthe case. To one side of this central guide-pin I fix in the standardone or more pins, (one will answer,) whose distance from the center isthe same as that at'which the above-referredto holes or perforations inthe base of the cartridge case or shell are placed from the center. Theyielding guide-pin normally extends up higher than the rigid eccentricpin. The latter, when the cartridge-shellis forced down on theimplement, finds its way through one of the perforations and readilyforces oil the primer. In some cartridges, however, the fire istransmitted through a central hole. To adapt the implement to suchcartridges 1 make the yielding central guide-pin removable, so that itmay be taken out and replaced by a rigid pin, which extends up farenough to protect the smaller eccentric pin, used as an extractor forthe cartridges of the kind first above mentioned. Inasmuch, also, ascartridges are of varying caliber, I provide the implement with one ormore sleeves of proper thickness or thicknesses, which can be fitted andattached to the standard, so as to increase its diameter to the extentdesired.

In the accompanying drawing I-have represented an apparatus or implementembodying my invention in its preferred form.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the implement. Fig. 2 is a like viewof a sleeve forincreasing the diameter of. the standard. Fig. 3 isaverticalcentral sectionof the implement provided with a yieldingcentral guide-pin. Fig. dis a like view of the implement provided withan unyielding center-pin.

Ais the cylindrical standard hereinbefore mentioned; it is fixed toabase-plate, B, which is fastened to a table or other suitable support.In the standard is formed an axial socket, a, in which is placed acentral pin, 1), which has a yielding bearing against the bottom of thesocket, formed, in this instance, by a spiral spring, 0, attached to andextending below the lower end of the pin, as shown in Fig. 3. To oneside of the central pin an unyielding or rigid ejector-pin, d, is fixedin the standard. The yielding guide-pin, in its normal position,projects some little distance above the ejector-pin, as shown in Fig. 1.

The apparatus is used as follows: A cartridge-shell, O, of caliber '44,for instance, for which caliber the cylindrical standard A is adapted,is placed'on the apparatus, as indicated in Fig. 3, and is pressed downthereon. In its descent itis guided by the main stand ard, so that thecentral yielding pin 1) at once finds its way into the centraldepression in the under side of the nipplef in the base of the shell.The pin thus centers the shell, which is still further depressed untilit is in contact with the small ejector-pin d. By slightly rotating theshell the pin then readily finds and enters one of the eccentric holesaround the nipple and abuts against the primer g, as indicated .inFig.3.

proper thickness, which is held in place, as in dicated in Fig. 4, by aset-screw, In, which enters the socket i in the standard.

The apparatus thus far described, while adapted for removing primersfrom shells of the kind shown in Fig. 3, manifestly is not fitted to beused with cartridges in which the fire is transmitted through a centralhole. To adapt the implement to this use, also, I make the yieldingpin-b removable, so that it and the spring attached to it may be takenout of the socket a, leaving the latter free to receive a pin,j, Fig. 4,whose lower end rests on the bottom of the socket, andwhose upper end,formed o1 the proper size and shape to enter the central hole in thebase of the cartridge, projects far enough above the eccentricejector-pin d to'prevent the latter from coming in contact with theshell. The cartridge F in this arrangement is placed on the apparatus,asindicated in Fig. 4. When itis pressed down the rigid centralejecting-pin j enters the central holein the base of the cartridge andabuts against the primer k, which can thus be readily knocked out. Ihave represented the implement as designed to be fixed to a table; butit may have a handle or handles and be 'used like a punch.

Having now described my invention and the vmanner in which the sameis'or may be carried into efl'ect, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In an implement for removing primers from cartridge-shells, thecombination of a .central yielding or depressible guide-pin and aneccentric ejecting-pin, for joint operation, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the guide-standard, the yielding or depressiblecentral guide-pin, and the eccentric ejector-pin, the combination beingand acting as set forth.

3. The removable central depressible guidepin, in combination with thesocketed supporting-standard, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination, with the guide-standard, of a removable sleeve orsleeves, by which the diameter of the standard may be varied to conformto the caliber of the cartridge-shell operated on.

5. An implement for removing primers from cartridge-shells, in which thestandard or stud around which the shell fits is provided with aneccentric ejectorpin, and with removable and interchangeable centerpins, which are depressible or not, acccording as they act as guides oras ejectors, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed mynamethis 11th day of July,A. D. 1876. H. G. WOLGOTT. Witnesses:

HOWARD THORNTON, I WM. 0. CHAMBERS.

